Harris W. Miner

Harris W. Miner, deceased, who is said to have effected a settlement in Essex Township so early as 1829, was the son of Harris Miner, a native of Vermont, who in 1827 made a tour of inspection through this district, and selected land for future location in this county. In 1829 this explorer, and son, Harris, came here. In 1854, the father moved to Kentucky, to enter the soldiers' home there, as he served from 1812 to 1815, in the Union army against the English and Indians, and died in Kentucky in 1857. His wife, Charlotta Reynolds, who is buried at Lafayette, bore him a family of whom Harris T., now living at Lafayette; Peter, Jesse and Christopher, deceased, came to Lafayette, and subsequently made settlements here, figuring for years among the leading citizens. Harris W. married Miss Susannah Smith, as noted in the chapter on marriage records, and at once entered on the earnest working life of the pioneer, whether living on the banks of Spoon river, in the Indian wigwam near Toulon, in the soldier's camp of 1832, or on the Goshen farm where he made his permanent home, and accumulated a large property. To his second wife four children were born, namely: Laura, who married George F. Dexter; Addison, deceased; Carlos, of Independence, Kan., and Harrison, of Goshen. His first wife was Miss Nancy Grasse, who died in 1881, to whom Horace, who died in 1853, was born. His second wife passed away, July 10, 1881. [As all marriages prior to 1867, and all deaths of the people buried here, from the beginning of the county to the present time, are noted in the general and township histories, the reader is referred thereto for dates.] Harrison, the youngest child, and only male representative of Harris W. Miner in the county, was born on the place where he now resides, in 1840. He married a daughter of Ruloff Parrish, an old settler of Goshen, often referred to in this work. By this marriage there are five children, namely: Ida L., Edgar S., Ernest A.. Everett H., and Carlie Boy. Mr. Miner is a thorough representative of his father and grandfather. No matter where we look in the general or township history, we find their names, and now we find that of a son and grandson following in the same course of usefulness, always reliable, whether on the board of supervisors, in his home, or out on his broad acres, of which he has 620.